Virtual Reality

Originally published in the Britannica Book of the Year. Presented as archival content. Learn more.

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In 2016 it seemed apparent that virtual reality (VR)—interaction between humans and Computer-generated sensory environments—had finally made the transition at the consumer level from the theoretical to the practical. A raft of new products made their debut during the year, ranging from low-end offerings that stretched the definition of what, exactly, constituted VR to fully immersive VR systems that had dazzling features and equally impressive price tags. Alongside ambitious attempts to redefine entertainment technology, there emerged a mobile application based on a decades-old franchise that featured modest technical requirements and fairly repetitive gameplay. Nevertheless, Pokémon GO proved to be a global smash, and its use of augmented reality (AR: overlaying computer-generated game elements—in this case, Pidgeys, Squirtles, and other assorted Pokémon—onto the user’s surroundings via the camera and video screen on a mobile device) injected new life into that nascent industry.

The Evolution of Virtual Reality.

Both filmmakers and game designers had long attempted to create the illusion of “being there” by drawing the viewer or player into a narrative via sensory tricks. Those endeavours ranged from the elaborate (1970s Sensurround systems simulating earthquakes by broadcasting heavy bass tones in movie theatres) to the farcical (the legendary “Smell-O-Vision” cinema gimmick) to the economically driven (Hollywood’s flirtation with 3-D film in the 2010s). To achieve true VR, however, the viewer must be given control of the “camera”; that is, motion within the virtual world must reflect the motion of the user’s head and eyes. The space program and the defense industry in the U.S. achieved modest successes with flight simulators in the 1960s and ’70s, but those early breakthroughs in VR required computing power that was well outside the reach of the typical consumer. By the 1980s researchers had created the first commercially viable data glove, enabling users to manipulate virtual data without touching an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse. In the ’90s VR burst into the popular consciousness, achieving buzzword status alongside such terms as cyberspace, but it failed to make any serious lasting impact. VR “entertainment centres” folded en masse; VR peripherals for popular console gaming systems posted anemic sales; and VR-themed films such as The Lawnmower Man (1992) and Virtuosity (1995) were critical flops. Industry analysts proclaimed VR to be dead, and two decades passed before technology reached a point at which the promise of VR could be realized.

The Suddenly Crowded VR Market.

After its 20-year hiatus, the consumer VR industry hit the ground running in 2016, with three major systems debuting during the year. The first to appear was the Oculus Rift in March. That product was produced by Oculus VR, a company that began in 2012 as a Kickstarter project and was purchased by Facebook for $2 billion in 2014. The Oculus Rift retailed for $599.99. That price did not include the high-end personal computer (PC) that was required to run the Rift headset (early adopters could expect to spend between $1,200 and $3,000 on the PC alone). While the Rift was greeted warmly by critics upon its release, reviewers noted that it did not ship with its own native controls, and the sensation of operating in VR with a standard MicrosoftXBox controller did little to enhance the realism of the games. The HTC Vive, the next VR contender, was released in April to a rapturous reception. That system was produced through a partnership between Taiwanese mobile-device manufacturer HTC and American software developer and distributor Valve. The HTC Vive retailed for $799 and, like the Oculus Rift, required an exceptionally powerful PC to run. The Vive, however, shipped with its own controllers as well as a pair of sensors to track the user’s movements (the Rift included only one sensor). Reviewers reported that the Vive’s virtual environment was more immersive and, most critically, was far less likely to cause motion sickness after prolonged exposure. The Vive also held the initial advantage in terms of game availability thanks to Valve’s Steam software distribution service. Sony’s PlayStationVR posted strong sales upon its release in October, and while it was the least expensive of the three major offerings, it was far from cheap. In addition to the $399 PlayStation VR headset, users needed to purchase a $300 PlayStation 4 game console, a $60 camera, and a pair of repurposed PlayStation 3 motion-tracking controllers.

While all three systems received favourable coverage in the press, actual sales appeared to be sluggish as the year progressed. Both the Rift and the Vive were widely available throughout the summer, but the anticipated flood of early adopters failed to materialize. Barring the debut of a “killer app” that would fuel public interest in the systems, analysts wondered if one or more of them might emulate Google Glass (an optical computer headset in the form of eyeglasses) and become nothing more than a high-tech novelty. The intimidating price points of all three systems certainly presented a barrier to entry, and discount options such as Samsung’s Gear VR and Google’s Cardboard (the latter was nicknamed “Oculus Thrift” in the technology press) attempted to appeal to a broader audience. The Gear VR, produced by Oculus, turned a Samsung Galaxy smartphone into a VR headset screen for just $99, while Google’s offering fully lived up to its name—it was a cardboard box with two lenses that held most standard Android and iOS smartphones. Google shipped sample Cardboard viewers to millions of New York Times subscribers in an attempt to promote VR, but some technology writers stressed that the discount viewers might actually do more harm than good, as the phone-based VR experience was far more likely to cause motion sickness.

Augmenting Reality.

As the Vive and the Rift saw disappointing sales data throughout the summer, the story that had seemingly eclipsed VR was augmented reality and that technology’s killer new app Pokémon GO. Within days of its July release in the United States, Pokémon GO had surpassed Twitter in the number of daily users and was on its way to becoming the most-successful mobile game in history. The game’s appeal lay in its straightforward premise—catch Pokémon, train Pokémon, fight other Pokémon—though many players never made it beyond the first step. Game developer Niantic used GPS location data to populate the player’s surroundings with Pokémon of varying degrees of adorableness, along with “PokeStops” (supply caches usually tied to a cultural site of some kind) and gyms (for training and fighting). Social-media sites were soon flooded with pictures of Pokémon appearing in offices, frolicking at famous landmarks, and (seemingly) engaging with wildlife.

Investors greeted the success of Pokémon GO with delight, more than doubling the value of Nintendo, a part owner of the Pokémon Co., in just two weeks. In spite of VR’s sluggish start in 2016, analysts believed that the combined AR and VR markets could top $120 billion by 2020. The wild card for both venture capitalists and technology writers alike was the Florida-based AR developer Magic Leap. That secretive enterprise, which was backed by more than $500 million in financing from Google, was developing a technology that it called “cinematic reality.” Using a headset that was significantly smaller than standard VR gear, Magic Leap’s AR project promised to completely reshape the consumer technology landscape. Company founder Rony Abovitz remained enigmatic about the cost and eventual launch date of Magic Leap’s flagship product, however, leaving the curious to wonder what shape the next “unreal reality” might take.

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